ITR Filing Deadline Extended Amid Portal Glitches And Taxpayer Backlash
New Delhi, September 15, 2025: In a last-minute reprieve for millions of taxpayers, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has extended the deadline for filing Income Tax Returns (ITRs) for Assessment Year 2025-26 by just one day, pushing it from 15 September 15 to September 16. The move comes amid widespread complaints about technical failures on the Income Tax e-filing portal, which has been plagued by slowdowns, glitches, and extended maintenance periods.
The original due date for these returns, which apply to income earned in the financial year 2024-25, was July 31, 2025. This was already postponed to September 15 due to earlier disruptions. Now, with the portal set to enter maintenance mode from midnight to 2:30 AM on September 16 to implement utility updates, the CBDT has issued a further extension. An official statement confirmed: “The due date for filing of ITRs for AY 2025-26… has been further extended from 15th September 2025 to 16th September 2025. A formal order/notification to this effect is being issued separately.”
Earlier, taxpayers and tax professionals have taken to social media to vent their anger. One user lambasted the authorities, calling officials in the Finance Ministry and Income Tax Department “ego-driven losers” for the portal’s hours-long outages. They highlighted the inability to file returns or even pay advance tax, warning that interest and penalties would still be levied on filers despite the department’s shortcomings.
Another taxpayer appealed directly to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Prime Minister’s Office, decrying the portal’s persistent issues four years after a Rs 4,500 crore investment. “Even a small report that could be downloaded in seconds isn’t working since morning,” they wrote, noting that the site has been unreliable since the e-filing season began. This, they argued, hampers lakhs of taxpayers and professionals contributing to the nation’s coffers and undermines India’s Digital India vision ahead of the 2047 developed nation goal. They urged the Finance Ministry to act, describing the inaction as a “big blot” on regulatory efficiency.
The chorus of complaints echoed across platforms. One professional described the portal as “pathetic, slow, glitchy & non-functional,” leaving users helpless and requesting an extension from the Income Tax Department and Finance Ministry.
Another detailed exhaustive troubleshooting efforts – switching devices, browsers, and internet connections – only to find the site overloaded. “We’re just sitting ducks, ignoring all other important work just to do these simple tasks,” they said, pleading for both a deadline extension and enhanced server capacity to avert future crises.
